Funeral of a Hero
by LovePolgara
Summary: After learning the truth Harry writes notes of goodbye to all those he loves. Harry is killed when he goes to Voldemort in the forest, but he takes Voldy with him. Harry's death and funeral told by the people who were there. Warning! Character Death
1. Walking Calmly Into Death's Open Arms

I hope you enjoy this story. I did this as a what if story. The events of the final book are different. Snape lives in my story.

I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters. They all belong to J K Rowling.

**Funeral of a Hero**

_Harry's POV_

He knew that Voldemort was close, his scar hurt more with every step. His heart raced against his chest. Harry Potter walked toward his death calmly, his eyes were dry and his mind was clear. He had left notes for everyone he loved. They would understand why he was doing this. He knew that if he had tried to tell them they would never have let him go, especially Mrs. Weasley; whom he had come to look upon as a mother and a friend.

Under his invisibility cloak he walked into the Forbiden Forest. As he walked he thought of his parents, of Cedric, of Serius, of Dumbledore, and finally of Ginny. With shocking clarity he saw her red hair gleaming in the sunlight, of her smile and how it could briten even the most gloomy day. She was the one he thought he would spend the rest of his life with. The one he thought he would one day mary. She was his strength and his resolve. He would do this for her. To make sure no one would ever be hurt by Voldemort again.

Harry now saw the ruddy red glow from the fire. Around it he saw the Death Eaters, in their block cloaks and masks. Harry stood at the edge of the circle, listening and gathering his currage.

"My Lord, there has been no sign of the boy." Said Mulciber gruffly.

"I thought the boy would come," Voldemort said in his high voice. "I had thought he would wish to save others from dying. I confess myself surprised. It appears I was mistaken."

Harry took a deep breath and pulled off the cloak, stuffing it beneath his robes with his wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight. He stepped into the ring of firelight and for the last time faced his enemy.

"You wern't." He said as loudly as he could, not wanting to reveal his fear of death.

Voldemort's expression was one of shock, but only for a second. He smiled a chilling smile and regarded Harry contemplatively.

"So Harry Potter, have you come to fight me?" He chuckled. "No I see you have accepted your fate, how brave of you."

Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry's heart and spoke the spell that had failed to kill the boy sixteen years ago. _Avada Kedavra._

Harry heard a whooshing sound and saw for a second time that fierce green light. He felt the spell hit him in the chest, Just over his heart, and he knew no more. His last thoughts were of Ginny, and as his body fell to the ground everything went black. Harry Potter was dead.

Suddenly Harry's body glowed with a golden light. In an instant his body dissapeared. There standing as he had in life was Harry. The Death Eaters cried out in shock and fear. Harry Knew he had one final job. He looked upon Voldemort and pointed a finger at him. Again there was a wooshing sound, but the light that appeared was not green, but gold. It struck Voldemort and with one final scream he fell to the ground dead; no longer a wisard but a shell. the Death Eaters as one man ran screaming from the clearing streight into the Ministry Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix.

The ghost of Harry looked up as Order members and Ministry officials walked warilly out onto the field. The first to arrive were Remus, Tonks, Mr. Weasely and Kingsley. Harry raised his hand in final farewell and dissapeared, leaving his body where it had fallen; but lying eyes closed, limbs streight, and a look of peace upon his face.

* * * * * * * *


	2. The Final Return

Remus was the first to reach Harry, but only by a couple seconds. They knew he was dead without checking. It was over, Voldemort's body lay close to the trees; on the edge of the firelight. Mr. Weasley stood up with tears streaming down his face. He pointed his wand at the ground next to Harry. A coil of rope and two long poles appeared at once. They built a litter and layed Harry's body upon it.

Suddenly they heard a sound at the edge of the clearing. As one they all pointed their wands toward the sound. A large herd of centaurs appeared in the firelight. One centar came forward, the centar had black hair and had a wild look about him.

"I am Bane." said the centaur.

Mr. Weasely stood up and walked toward Bane. He extended his hand to the centaur. The centaur took it warily and shook it.

"My name's Arther Weasley."

"What are you doing in our forest?"

"The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters were in here. We followed them in here. But, we were too late. Harry Potter is dead. He killed Voldemort and was killed himself.

"Harry Potter is dead." Bane repeated. "We will cary him back to the castle. Ronan. Magorian. Join me."

Two other centaurs walked up beside Bane. They turned their backs to Mr. Weasely.

"Lay him on our backs." Bane said.

The wizards and the witch lay Harry's body upon the centaurs backs. They walked at their sides and heard the rest of the centaurs following. The forest was silent and there was no wind. They carried Harry out of the forest and across the grounds of Hogwarts. They carried him up to the castle doors. Remus, Tonks, Mr. Weasely and Kingsley took Harry off the centaur's backs and entered the castle. They carried Harry into the Great Hall and layed him upon the Gryffindore table. Gasps and shouts of "No!!" came from all around the hall.

Friends and acquaintances gathered around the body. Here and there people were crying. Minerva McGonagall ran over and took one look at Harry and sank into a chair.

"How?" She asked quietly.

"We don't know." Kingsley said in his deep voice.

"Voldemort?" Her quiet voice was fearful.

"Dead." Kingsly told her comfortingly.

"Minerva, have you seen Molly anywhere? Or Ron and Hermione?" Mr. Weasley asked her."

McGonagall shook herself and looked at him. She took a deep breath and said: "Molly is in the Astronomy Tower. Miss Granger and Mr. Weasely are near the Charms classroom."

"I must go to them." Mr. Weasely said turning and walking away.


	3. Goodbye My Friend

**Thank you all so much for your patience in waiting for this story. No, I am not forgetting this story. I have had a lot of stuff happen in my family that made it too hard to continue on this story. From the deaths of both of my grandmothers and two of my uncles to dealing with a depression, I haven't realy been able to do this much. Well I'm back and I hope to get more of this done faster from now on. Thanks to all you reviewed.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters. They all belong to J K Rowling.

**Chapter 3: Goodbye My Friend**

Mr Weasley slowly climbed the Grand Staircase, hoping to talk to Molly first. At the top he found Hermione and Ron prepairing for battle.

"Dad!" Ron said in a releaved voice. "What are we doing? What's going on? Are we fighting? Where are the Death Eaters?"

Mr. Weasley took a deep breath. He knew this was going to be a very hard and painful talk. He motioned a large bench set against the wall.

"I think you both will need to sit down." He started.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Ron asked worried, his eyes wide. "Did something happen to Mom?"

"No. Your mother is fine. Ron, Hermione, Please sit with me." He sank down on the bench, Ron and Hermione on either side of him.

"What's happened, Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked with fear in her voice.

"I am so sorry you two, but we just found Harry's body in the Forbiden Forest, it looks as if he sacrificed himself to Voldemort to save us all. Voldemort is also dead, we saw what looked to be Harry's ghost when we found the Death Eaters. His body is laying on the Gryffindore table down in the Great Hall."

Ron and Hermione sat in silence for a few moments before Hermione burst into racking sobs and Ron started standing and pacing, saying,

"No! No, it cant be true! You must have made a mistake. He can't be dead. He just can't be. You... you... you must have got it... it wrong Dad. Harry can't be dead."

Ron had sunk back onto the bench and his voice had quitened to a hourse whisper now. Looking at his father with pleading eyes.

"I'm afraid no mistake can be made Ron." Arther said, his eyes full of pain. "I loved him too, you know, like one of my own sons." A silent tear traced it's way down his face.

Ron looked down at his violently shaking hands and tried to control them, trying to be strong for Hermione. Arther stood up and looked with eyes full of sorrow at the sight of his son and the girl he loved like a daughter in so much pain at the loss of their best friend.

"I must go tell your mother what has happened Ron, If either of you need me I will be down in the Great Hall."

Arther found Molly and Ginny in the Astronomy Tower fighting.

"You will do no such thing young lady. You will go streight home right now. You're not old enough fight, and I will not allow it."

"My entire family is here. I can't go home and wait to hear about what's happening. I have a right to be here, to fight for those I love, Just like you and Dad. I won't leave Harry!"

Noticing him for the first time they both turned to him and seeing the sorrow and pain in his eyes the fight forgotten.

"There won't be any need for Ginny to go home, Molly." Mr. Weasley said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "The battle's over. We won and the Death Eaters are being rounded up as we speek."

Molly looked at her husband startled for a moment before asking, "How? What's happened?"

"Let's sit down."

Molly's eyes filled with fear and she hesitated before shakily asking, "Who?"

Arther looked down at his knees before answering, "Harry."

Molly burst into tears and Ginny starred at her father.

"How?" Ginny demanded her voice full of fear and sorrow.

"We don't know. We heard that the Death Eaters were in the Forbidden Forest and we went in after them. When we reached the clearing where they were we saw Voldemort dead at the edge of the trees and a golden ghost of Harry waved to us and disapeared. We brought his body back to the castle and layed him in the Great Hall."


End file.
